39 Things to Do Before Leaving on Vacation: A Handy Dandy Checklist
As I’m writing this, the McKay family is about to head off for our annual family vacation.
There’s a surprising number of to-dos that need to be crossed off before heading out for any trip, and prior to every vacation, I generate the same mental checklist of things that need to be taken care of. But every single time, I procrastinate, try to cram too many tasks into the morning of our trip, and end up forgetting things to do and items to pack.
So taking a lesson from the post I wrote on the power of checklists, I finally decided to create a pre-travel checklist to get all my ducks in a row.
I figured others might find it helpful to either copy or remix it for their own travel use. I hope you find it useful and please add your own suggestions in the comments!
Leaving for Vacation Checklist
A Week to 48 Hours Before:
- Put a hold on the delivery of your mail, or ask someone to collect it for you (same goes for any packages that might be coming your way)
- Put a hold on the delivery of your newspapers
- Arrange pet sitter or kennel stay
- Pay bills
- Check toiletry/gear/clothes supply — buy new items as needed
- Load up on reading material — buy magazines and books, check out books from library, download books on Kindle/iPad
- Order and pick-up a refill on your medication if it’ll run out while you’re on your trip
- Let friends and family know about travel itinerary
- Arrange for a ride to the airport, or reserve a parking spot (if your airport is big enough for that to be needed — not the case here in Tulsa!)
The Day Before:
- Throw away perishable food items from fridge, as well as any fruit/veggies that might go bad while you’re away
- Notify alarm company that you’ll be away
- Get all laundry done (including bed sheets — nothing better than coming home to fresh sheets!)
- Check-in for flight online and print off boarding passes
- Print off driving directions (yeah, you can look these up on your phone, but there are plenty of times when your digital map of choice doesn’t work properly)
- Write down/print off destination addresses
- Check weather of destination
- Confirm hotel reservations
- Confirm rental car reservations
- Program phone numbers you’ll need into phone
- Download apps, music, and movies/shows for yourself and the kids
- Set up email away message
- Fully charge phone/tablet/laptop
- Withdraw cash and change it for single dollar bills in case you need to tip shuttle drivers, skycaps, hotel valets, etc.
- Call bank to let them know you’re traveling
- Run the dishwasher
- Pack everything (minus what you’ll be using on travel day) in your suitcase and carry-on bag
Morning of Departure:
Note: If you have a very early flight, some of these things should be done the night before. Just grab a protein bar and head out the door.
- Pack dopp kit after getting ready for the day
- Make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked
- Make sure the garbage disposable is clear of food scraps
- Take out last bag of trash to garbage can
- Wash any dishes you used for breakfast by hand and put away (really, protein bars are the way to go)
- Turn off lights and turn on timer for lights
- Unplug electronics
- Water house plants
- Set thermostat for away temperature (upper 70s in summer, upper 50s in winter — the rule of thumb is 4 degrees off of what your normal temperature is)
- Close blinds and curtains
- Double-check bags/clothing for loose ammunition
- Be sure your EDC is TSA compliant; pack into suitcase the forbidden items that you normally carry on your person (pocket knife, gun, etc.)
- Double check that you have IDs and itinerary packed in carry-on bag
Check for items you often use right up until leaving, and end up forgetting:
- Medicine
- Sunglasses
- Wallet
- Phone
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Suggested Packing Checklists
Dopp Kit:
- Travel bottle of shampoo
- Bar of your favorite soap
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
- Shaving supplies: razor, brush, and cream
- Nail clippers
- Lip balm
- Band aids
- Safety pins
- Aspirin or Tylenol
- Lint roller
- $20 bill
- Extra pair of contact lenses
- Cologne
- Medications
Carry-on:
- Itinerary
- Smartphone power cords and adapter
- Paperback book/magazines
- Tablet/laptop and power cords
- Paper copy of driving directions
- A change of clean underwear
- Pens/pencils
- Notebooks
- Headphones
- Snacks
Baby/Toddler Bag:
- Diapers
- Diaper disposal bags
- Wipes
- Snacks
- Books (way, way more than you might think you’ll need — they’ll go through ‘em quick)
- Small toys
- Bottle/cup with built-in straw (sucking will help pop their ears)
- Benadryl and/or Tylenol (see here for proper dosing)
- Toddler headphones
- Tablet with downloaded movies/shows
For more tips on traveling with babies and toddlers, check out this post.
